The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-Tip) negotiations presents an opportunity to lower duties on ethanol imports to the EU, a letter sent to US Trade Ambassador Michael Froman suggests.

The letter, signed by nine members of US Congress, urges Froman to seek options to reduce trade obstacles for US energy, including ethanol, gas and crude oil.

In early 2013 the EU imposed definitive anti-dumping duties of USD 83.2 per tonne on US imports of ethanol. The decision followed an anti-dumping investigation launched by the European Commission in November 2011 due to a complaint by European producers.

“The US ethanol industry has been unfairly targeted by the EU for increased duties which have subsequently eliminated US share in the European market,” the letter reads. It says that US access to EU markets could help bring cleaner energy sources and lower Europe’s dependence on Russian natural gas.

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